Egbert judson



EeBnR'r JUDSON, on SAN rnaxctsco,

GIANT rownnn COMPANY Ann ATLAXTIG GIANT POWDER COMPANY,

OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT m EXPLOSIVE conPouuosjoa GIANT POWDER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,4di8, dated June 3, 1873; application filed Y May 13, 1673.

To all whom it may concern: I

Beit known that I, Eennnr J UDSON, of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a newand useful- Composition of Matter as an Explosive Comto limit myself to the exact relative quantities hereinafter stated, as they are susceptible of variation; nor to the precise substances mentioned, as some of them have weil known equivalents which may be substituted in their. placc.- 1 I will proceed to state the ingredients of my new explosive. compound, and their relative proportionsas I prefer -to use them, and will then mention some of the modifications which maybe adopted. l takeforty parts byweight of nitrate of soda; six parts by weight of rosin six parts by weight of sulphur; eight parts by weight of infusorial earth, or other analogousabsorbent substances. These ingredients are dried,- separatel y pulverized, and then intimately mixed, composing what I call the dry mixture. I then add to the dry mixture fortyparts by weight of nitro-glycerine, making in all one hundred parts by weight, the nitro-glycerine being thoroughly stirred into the dry miiiture until it is absorbed thereby, forming a powder of uniform consistency, which constitutes my improved explosive compound, and which I call Giant Powder, No. 2."

lnstead of the-nitrate ofils'oda, other nitrates, such as nitrate ot' baryta, nitrate of lead, or ni trate of potash, may be used; the last-named ingredient being superior to, but more costly than, the nitrate of soda. ln'plaee of rosin I have used other carbons and hydrocarbons, such, for example, as bituminous coal, coke, charcoal, flour, starch, sugar, lignite, wood, and

asphaltum, which, unless already in that condition, should be pulverized. "The absorbent which I prefer to use is silicious matter,' composed of the -rcnniins of organic substances,"

7 and known as infusorial earth, which, bein g cellular in character, acts as a sponge to hold the nitro-glycerinein intimate mixture. It also performs an important function in preventing the caking ot' the other ingredients when moistened with nitro-glycerine, and serves to keep the compound in a mealy and pulverulent condition, whichis so important to itsconveniout use for blasting purposes. Other analogous absorbentsnbstances'maybe substituted for it.

0n the quantity of nitro-glycerine employed will depend the efiective strength and ready explosiveness of the powder, both ot which qualities are increased by the addition of nitro-glycerine. The proportion of nitroglycerine used may vary from about ten per cent. by weight of the wholemass, up to the largest percentage that the dry mixture will permanently retain; the absorbent. quality of the dry mixture varying with the kind and relative quantity of the particular ingredients used. Care should betaken, however, that the nitro-glyceriue be not used in such'quantity as to run from the mixture after standing, as this would render it dangerous to handle. It should be noticed also that the dry. mixture will retain a larger quantity of nitroglycerin incold weather than when thetemperature is warmer.

. The peculiar advantages of the compound which I have described, as an explosive compound, are, that it is more powerful than a mere mixture of the same amountof nitro-glycerine and infusorial earth would he, owing to the presence of the nitrate, carbon, and sulphur, and. that it is capable of being made more powerful than a mixture of nitro glycerine with the three last-named ingredients, without the intusoriai earth, as it wiil hold a larger quantity of nitroglyceriue in a given amount of powder, and thatit is very safe, as itdoes not explodeby more contact with flame, nor will it readily explode by concussion, or by any known means other than by thense of detonatives, such as fulminate o-t' inert-pry? It may, therefore, be handled and transported with impunity. And in this connection I may statethal' PATE T OFFICE.

CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR To, THE;

the "best method of exploding this powller I simplicity of the process of manufacture, and

vnot quite as eificient if made firoin crude instead Y materials do not need to be very finely pulver the'lowprice of the materials mixed. with the nitro-glycerine, es the powder will be almost if of refined niter and. sulphur. So, also. the

ized, nor is any special skill required in the mixing, although the purer the materials and the more perfectly theyare mixed the will be the quality of the powder;

' Having thus described my inventien, whet Iclaim as. such aund desire to secure by Letters I?etent, is

The composition of matter, hereiubefore de scribetl,sonsistingofnitr -glycerineintimately mixed with pulverized infusorialesrth, nitrate of soda, rosin, and sulphur, or their equivalents,

substantially as describe(l,as a new explosive command.

- GB UDSONL Witnesses;

ALFRED .RIX,

J. F. (JQWDERY.

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